Film winding and delivery means for motion-picture devices



July 31, 1923- L. B. LARSEN ET AL FLM WINDING AND DELIVERY MEANS FORMOTION PICTURE DEVICES Filed March 14, 1921 Y 4 Sheets-Sheet 1lllllllllllllllllxv @un man July 31, 1923-, 1,463,620

L. B. LARSEN ET AL FILM WINDING AND DELIVERY MEANS FOR MOTION PICTUREDEVICES 14 I 4 SheetsfShee Filed Ma July 31, 1923 1,463,620

L. B. LARSEN ET AL FILM WINDING AND DELIVERY MEANS FOR MOTION PICTUREDEVICES Filed March 14. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l July 31, 1923-v1,463,620 l L.. B. LARSEN ET AL FILM WINDING AND DELIVERY MEANS FORMOTION PICTURE DEVICES Filed March 14 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 PatentedJuly 3l, 1923.

UNITED .STATES insa/,62o

PATENT oFFicE.

LOUIS B. LAR'SEN AND OSCAR J'. HOLMES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FILM'. WINDI-NG DELIVERY MEANS. FOR MOTION-PIOTURE DEVICES.

Application led March t4, l92. Serial No. 451,954.

T all wzomit may concern:

Be it known that we, Louis B. Lessen and OSCAR J. HOLMES, each a citizenoi the United States and each a resident of Chicago, lCook County,illinois, have jointly invented certain new and useful improvements'Relatin' to Film lll/'indintil and Deliveri Means for Motion-PictureDevices, owhich the following is a specification.

The present iiinprovements 'irlate more particularly winding anddelivery means for a motion picture lm having its originally free endssecured together and forming an endless band.

Various suggestions have heretoiore been made of means lor employing anendless i'ilin wound upon itself in a plurality of convolutions and forcontinuously withdrawing iilm 'from one convolution thereof to supply aloop of iilm passing through the projecting device. ln some oiu theseprior suggestions the iilin ring is in a horizontal position while inothers it is vertically disposed. 'lt hasalso been suggested to employrotary means including a sprocket for drawing the film from oneconvolution of the ring, the pull upon that convolution operating tomove 'the entire body of the ring and thus wind additional film upon theouter surface olZ the ring. lt is also old to provide'rollers circularlyarranged'to hold the laminated nlm in ringforni. Various forms ofcasingshave been suggested, too, for the film and linmoving parts.

So far as we are aware no suggestion hitherto made of a device forwinding upon and unwinding from an endless film ring has proven apractical or commercial success. llt has, however, heretofore been oundfeasible and practical to eel the hlm from the operating machine looselyinto a compart- `ment where it folds and doubles upon itself, thefilm'being drawn out of the compartment at another locality thereof forpassage 'through the machine. Aside from the large amount of compartmentspace required for a film of even relatively small extent there areiiiariyI other highly objectionable features to that mode of operation.

-ne of the principal objects of thepresent improvements is to provide asimple, compact and unitary device which may constitute a permanent,never-to-be-changed liou's'- ing, receptacle or magazine for the endlessfilm, and which may be applied as a tempo- Le of such a construction "iemaker or an owner o c ide this u nlm vano rents for use may install theilmiii the magazine and then deliver the magazine and i'ilin to the userwho, by the simple application o the magazine-bodily to his motionpicture machine which has been adapted to receive it and by the simpleoperation of withdrawing a loop of ilm from the casing and positioningthe saine operatively in association with 1 the nlm-moving devices oithe machine, is ready to begin the projection of the pici'gure.

The projection may then continue indien-- iiitely, without loss ol timeor annoyance to spectators such as is incident to the replacement oilreels constituting difiierent parts o'i the same picture andto thenecessary ra winding operations after the ordinary double-endedstrip-ilm has once been passed through the machine. Furthermore, alterthe period of use othe film has passed it is only necessary for the userto withdraw the magazine and ilin from the device, see that the film iscompletely housed therein, and return the magazine and contents to theowner or if he himself be the owner he may store the device awaycomplete and intact ready for any 'future use. Another advantage ofsuchfconstiuction is in the fact that where a plurality of differentcomplete pictures are desired to be shown in succession or wheredifferent parts of the complete picture may be put up in different'magazines,

has been measurably laccomplished throughY rely housed when is notiijice the 'provision of a plurality of projectors, one eing gottenready for use during the operation of another. l

An important object of these improvements is to provide simple andeffective means for winding and unwinding the endless film from itslaminated ring whether used in connection with a magazine, a readilydetachable magazine, or otherwise. The improvedfilm-winding-and-delivery means may be a permanent part of the machine,and the film ring, in such case, would be bodily inserted in and removedfromthe same as occasion required. Other ,objectsl and advantages willappear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,we have shown our improvements in a highly advanof the projectingmachine proper with our improved magazine device operatively positionedtherein, the sidel door of the carrying case of the projector beingremoved and parts being broken away to show certain ear connections;Fig. 2 is a face viewshowmg the main operative parts within the ilmmagazine, the door thereof being shown fragmentarily and in openposition; Fig. 3

A is a fragmentary view of the magazine showing in other relativepositions the filmholding devices which are associated with the feed anddelivery sprockets, this figure aso showing the application of afilm-retaining plate which is omitted from Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is atransverse vertical sectional view substantially on the broken line 4-4of Fig.

1; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in thedirection `of the arrows 5-5 ofFig.'3; Fig. 6 is a rear view of the film casing or magazine; Fig. 7 isa vertical sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2, showing the flangedroller from which the/ film passes to the film-pulling means; Fig. S isa sectional view substantially on the broken line 8'8 of Fig. 2, partsof the outer casing and of the supporting and operating means for themagazine device being also shown; Fig. 9 is a front, top and sideperspective view of the magazine device with a small loop of film shownby dotted lines; and Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional fragmentary detailpf one of the roller-holding studs.

For present purposes a very brief description of the motion picturemachine which we have selected for illustrative purposes will suice.VThe present improvements are not limited to use in connection withprojectors lter 18, an intermittent sprocket 19 for drawing the filmstep-by-step past the light opening 20, (Fig. 4) and various otheroperative parts readily to be understood from the drawings or from thepatents mentioned.

A motor 21 drives the main power shaft 22 which carries part of a Genevamovement (not shown) for rotating intermittently the sprocket 19, also apinion 23 engaging'the worm gear 24 for ldriving the shutter, and also apinion 25 meshing with the gear 26 which in turn isin mesh with the gear27 (Figs. 1 and 4), th gear 27 being rigid upon the sprocket shaft 28which is thus rotated continuously during the operation of the machine.

The shaft 28 carries a continuous feed sprocket 29 and a continuoustake-up sprocket'30. These sprockets 29 and 30 constitute afeed-and-take-up device adapted to provide a constant loop of film,portions of which are intermittently being exposed In the projectorillustrated this feed-andtake-up device comprises two sprockets 29 A and30 on the same shaft, but this is not an essential requirement withrespect to the im provements herein disclosed.

vEach of the sprockets 19, 29 and 30 is provided with a spring-pressedswinging arm such as 33 (Fig. 1) having a roller 34 adapt ed to hold thefilm in contact with the sprocket. Such swinging arms as 33 and rollersas 34 are very common in the art in association with such sprockets, andit is important to point out here merely that when the arms as 33 androllers as 34 associated with each of the sprockets v19, 29 and .30respectively are moved out of the holding position thereof shown in Fig.1, the film may be removed edgewise entirely away from the sprockets andfrom the machine, it being understood also that by opening a door 36controlled by the latch 37 (Fig. 1) the film is released from thefilm-guiding ,means about the framing aperture r20 (Fig. 4); i

Our lmproved film-containing magazine 40 (Fig. 9) is shown as beingrectangular,

but its exterior contour is not ofparticular importance and may be`modified for particular adaptationscr according to preference.

The one illustrated is to be understood as be ing formed of sheetl metaland as comprisin two hollow sections or parts 41 and 42, eac i guiderollers and 46, one pair on each magazine section, and the film passesbe-` `tween the rollers as illustrated during the operation of themachine. The magazine section top walls are correspondingly providedwith 'slot-like recesses or openings 47 and 48, which openings comev tothe abutting edges of the two body parts or sections of the magazine(Fig. 4) whereby when the magazine sections 41 and 42 are moved apartdifferent parts of the film may readily be positioned between the pairsof rollers 45 and 46.

Within one of the sections, as 41, of the magazine we provide an innermetallic wall spaced from the outer end wall 51 of the magazine andrigidly maintained there by the bolts 52.` Rigidly secured upon theplate or base 50 are cylindrical studs 53 (Figs. 2, 8 and 10) which are,in this specific construction, arranged in a circle and all of whichextend in axial lines parallel to each other and at right angles to thebase 50. Each stud 53 has rotatably mounted thereon a roller 54, theserollers being made, in my practice, of wood, and being adapted to turnfreely on the studs 53 respectively. Each stud 53 has va reduced ortion55 at its outer end (F ig. 10) adapte to project into correspondinglholes in the covering plate 56, and some of the studs (Fig. 3) are boredand internally threaded at thelr outer ends (Fig. 10) to receive thethumb screws 57 respectively, the function of which screws is to holdthe plate 56 in readily removable relation uponjthe studs. Theapplication and removal of the plate 56 is facilitatedby the provisionof a well-known bayonet-slot construction 58 where the screws 57 areshown.

The cover plate 56 is ring-like but is not continuous, there beingprovided in it a transverse slot 59', and the edges 60 of the metalthere are turned outward so as to avoid any possibility of the filmiscatching against a rough edge thereduring the operation of the machine.

From this construction it is clear that by removing the plate 56 a ringof film, as 62 (Fig. 2) comprising a plurality of layers orconvolutions, one upon another, may be placed upon the rollers 54 andthat a loopof film, as 63 (Figs-'4 and 9), may have one portion thereofextending from the outer convolution of the ring between the guiderellers 45,that another freev portion of the film may extend laterallyfrom: the inner convolution of the ring'and, before the magazinesections are brought together, caused to pass between the guide rollers46, and that owing to the slot 60 (Fig. 3) in the cover plate 56 thisplate may again be positioned as in Fig. 3 with the last mentioned freeortion of the film passing from one side of tiie cover late 56 to theother thereof through the arge middle opening in the plate.

The cover plate 56 and the relatively fixed plate or base 50 (Fig. 8)form an annular channel which is only a little wider than the film,andthe film ring as'62 is thus maintained in a straight-,wound'condition on the rollers 54. A highly important feature of theseimprovements is the provision -of means within the casing for drawingthev film positively from one convolution thereof, preferably the innerconvolution as shown, in -lines of force which vare substantiallyparallel with the planes defined by the edge portions of the film ring,whereby the film is drawn in a straight-away direction from the body ofthe rlng. The film is thus saved from the effect ofgforces tending tostretch it at one edge portion or the other or even to cause the film tobreak, the latter mischance frequently happening where the film iscracked or its edge is split or otherwise mutilated and the pull uponthe film is not in a straight-away direction. f

Another important feature is the provision of other positively-drivenmeans for rcceiving the film from the pulling means just mentioned anddelivering it for use of the projector, these latter means being spacedfrom the pulling means so as to provide an excess or substantially a.loop of film between the pulling and delivery means, this excess beingsuch that the necessary bending of the lm to get it away from betweenthe planes of the film ring will be on such easy lines and without anymaterial pulling strains upon the film that the film is saved from iinjury during this part of its movement, the film-delivery means havingalso the function of positively forcing the desired quantity of filmforward toward the-feed sprocket of the projector proper whereby anexcess of film may constantly exist between the delivery sprocket andsaid feed sprocket.

According to this inventionin its complete application there is only oneplace where .any substantial pull upon the film is exerted j namely at,the film-pulling means associated with the film-ring-holding means, andthe pull here is in direct lines, as hereinabove pointed out.

ln carrying out the invention in this respect we provide, as a preferredembodiment, the. construction illustrated and which in use has beenfound to provide all of the desired results and advantages hereinaboveset forth. This mechanism comprises a rotatable shaft 7 O (Fig. 5)mounted against longitudinal `movement in the intermediate wall or base50 and a bracket 71 secured to the base. The shaft 7 0 has mounted uponit the pulling, sprocket 72 which, as to be noted from Figs'.

4 and 8, is positioned between the normally vertical planes defined bythe opposite edge ortions of the film ring, and since the shaft 0extends at right angles to these planes the pull upon the film by thesprocket 72 is perfectly straight-away, that is, in lines paral lel withthe said planes.

A second sprocket 73, herein called the delivery sprocket, is alsorigidlysecured upon th'eshaft 70.

The sprocket shaft 70 is rotated by means of a pin 74 extendindiametrically through that end portion of t e shaft which is shown asextending beyond the inner Wall 50 of the magazine. The outer magazinewall 51 (Fig. 6) is provided with an opening 75 concentric with theshaft 70 whereby access may be had to the driving pin 74 by a pair ofstuds 76 (Figs. 4 and 8) carried by acollar 77 on the shaft 78 coaxialwith the shaft 70 and ournaled in the relatively fixed upright FromFigs. 1, 4 and 8 it will be observed4 that the upright part 79 carries astud 83 and that each of the lateral extensions 82 thereof carries astud 84. From Fig. 6 it will be noted that one hole 85 and two holes 86are provided in the end wall, of the casing 40, which holes are. spacedapart in the same relation as are the studs and are adapted to lreceivethe studs 83 and 84 respectively.

Two spring arms 88 having turned-over fingers or catches 89 are rigidlysecured to the outer casing of the machine and extend forward alongsidethe magazine 40 with the fingers 89 engaging thev normally front surfacethereof at opposite edge portions and hold the magazine 40 firmly on thestuds and in its desired operative position. For-removing the magazineit is only necessary to sping apart the catches 88 and withdraw tmagazine from the studs.

- We provide means for rotating the pulling sprocket 72 and the deliverysprocket 73 at a rate which at any particular time of operation iscommon to that'of the take-up sprocket 30 and the feed sprocket 29 ofthe projector proper, these means including, on the shaft 78, a sprocket90 of the same operative size as the-sprocket 31 on the shaft 28 (Fig.4), a chain 91 passing over the sprockets 31 and 90.

In connection with the pulling sprocket 72 and the delivery sprocket 73in the magazine we provide in each instance a pair of spring-pressedarmsV carrying rollers which are in all material respects like the armv33 and roller 34 associated with the intermittent sprocket 19`andalready described. In Fig. 2 these several pairs of arms and a spiral.

rollers are shown in the position they ocwhen the device is normally inuse.-

cu lnphig. 3 the arms` and rollers are shown as being swung out of theirholding engagement, one thereof but slightly. 4The rollers 95 and 96,(Figs. 2 and 8) are adapted to cooperate with the sprocket 73, and

Vthe respective arms 97 and 98 are pivoted the flat surface 1081on eachof the studs 99, 100, 105 and 106, holds the associated roller inoperative/contact with the film, asl shown in Fig. 2. When any lever ismoved out of operative position with its spring 107 away .from the flatsurface 108 it remains out of the sprocket-Contactin position. When therollers are thus hel out the film may readily be applied to or removedfrom the sprockets.

Since each pair of rollers 95-96 and 101-102 has itsmembers spaced fromeach other partially around the periphery of the sprockets which theyrespectlvely engage their eflect is to cause the film t0 travellstraight while upon the sprockets respectively, so that atfthe placeswhere the film is bein o erated uponthe pull upon it is straig t, eavingit free to bend only at places in its path of travel where there is nopulling strain upon it.

The delivery sprocket 73 being spaced from theA pulling sprocket 72provision is thereby made for a substantial excess or loop of film 110(Figs. 2 and 4) constantly maintained between these sprockets in the lnormal operation of the machine, this excess film being somewhat in theform of The film at this place always proceeds forward and around whilemoving laterally and it is thus enabled to adjust itself in the mosteasy manner to the slight bending or twisting action involved. From thedelivery sprocket 73 the film passes directly to the rollers 46 andthence to the feed sprocket 29.

As already noted, the film is drawn by the pulling sprocket 72 from theinner convolution of the film ring 62. In order furl ther to insure itsstraight-away-movement toward the pulling sprocket we provide the roller54,- which is in other respects like the rollers 54, with an innerflange 112 (Fig. 7 )f and an outer flange 113 secured to the roller asby screws. The film passes from the roller 54EL directly to the pullingsprockets 72.

When the machine is in operation thc whole body of the film ring 62ismoved,

and in the clockwise direction as viewed I `the ring,

in Fig. 2, the supply for purposes of projection passing out-of thecasing or magazine between the rollers 46, andA that part of the looplwhich has been exposed coming back into the magazine between'therollers 45 and'being wound upon the periphery of forming its .outerlamination. This action is continuous so longA as the machine is inoperation.

While we have thus illustrated and described a highly efficient l,embodiment ofthese improvements the\ invention is not limited to thespecific construction and arrangement of parts shown, and referenceshould be' had tothe ap ended claims toi determine. the scope of vt eimprovements herein set forth. f Y

We claim: I

1. A. combined film-holder and casing for an endless film comprisinwalls forming a "the film `from said lm-p Y Nfln'i-pulling and thfilmhaving a common a substantially at a right kthefilnrpulling meanscasing having arr inlet an an outlet for the film, means within thecasing for operatively holdin between normally substantially vertical panes touching the opposite edge portions ofthe ring a film ring.comprising a plurality of convolutions of the film, rotary film-pullingmeans for drawing the lm from, one convolution of said ring, and rotarfilm-delivering means for lreceiving and eliverin the filmv from saidfilm-pulling means, t e film-pulling 'means being operativelyIpositioned substantially between the vertical planes substantially theoppositecedges of the lm rm'gand having an axis of ro tion atsubstantially a right angle to said planes, the film-deliveringmeans-being spaced from the filnrpullmeans. l

A. combined film-holder and casing for i walls forming a casing havingan in et an an outlet for thev film, means within the casing for holdingbetween normally substantially vertical planes touchin the opposite edgeportions of the ring a lm ring comprising a plurality of convolutions ofthe lm', rotary film-pulling means for drawin the film from the inner lconvolution of said ringgand rotar film-delivering means for receivinandY elivering J an endless film comprisin ing means, the elivering meansls of rotation which isv angle to said planes, belng substantiallybetween'y said Y planes, the film-delivering means being spaced from thefilm-pulling 3. A combined film-holder and casing for an endless filmcoi'nprisin walls forming a casing having an 1n et an an outlet for thefilm, a plurality of rollers in ring form within the casin "for holdinga film ring comprising d p urality of convolutions of the defined byfilm, lrotary film-pulling means carried by the casing fordrawing thefilm from one convolution of said ring, and rotary filmdelivering meanscarriedV by the casing for receiving and delivering the film from saidlfilm f pulling means, the film pulling means and the film-deliveringmeans having a common axis of rotation, the pulling means beingsubstantially between planes substan-` tially defined by theoppositeedges of the film ring, the film-delivering means being f spaced .fromthe {ihn-pulling means to provide for aV loop of film between them.

4. In a motion picture machine for operat-l ing upon a tape-like film,the combination of a feed-and-take-up device adapted Ato move differentparts of a film at the same 4means and the film-delivery meansrespectively to mQve the film at the pulling means and at the deliverymeans at the same rate asthat provided by said feed-and-take-up devicevatfall times during the normal operation of the machine. l

5. na motion picture machine for operating upon a tape-like film, thecombination of a rotary feed sprocket, a rotary take-up sprocket, meansfor operating said sprockets at a .common rate of rotation, means forholding in ring form an endless film wound u on itself in a plurality ofconvolutions w1th a loop thereof extending beyond the ringmnd passingover each of said sprockets, a fi\ pulling sprocket associated with saidfilmholding means for drawing film from one convolution of said ring,said filmulling sprocket being positioned substantially between Vtheplanes defined by the opposite edge portions of the lm ring, afilm-delivery sprocket spaced from said filmpull ing sprocket, and meansfor rotating the film-pulling sprocket and the film delivery' sprocketat a rate common/with that of the feed-and-take-up sprockets.-

outlet for the film, means Within the casingl a film delivery sprocketspaced from said.` film-pulling sprocket and on the same axis thereof,means for holding the film on cach of said sprockets, and means forrotating said sprockets to move the film at a rate common with thatofthe feed-and-take-iip device. i'

7. In a motion picture machine for option of a feed sprocket, a take-upsprocket, means for o ierating said sprockets at a common rate orotation, means for holding in ring form an endless film wound uponitself in a plurality of-convolutons with a loop thereof-extending beond thel ring and pasing over eachlofsai sprockets, a film-pullingsprcket rotatably mounted in the inner space defined by saidfilm-holding means for drawing film from the inner convolution of saidring, said film-pulling sprocket being positioned substantially betweenthe pla-nes defined by the opposite edge portions of the film'ring andhaving an axis of rotation substantiall at a riglitangle to said planes,a filmelivery sprocket rotatably mounted on the ,same axis as is thefilm-` pulliiig sprocket., means associated with each sprocket formaintaining the film operatively therepn, and means for rotating thefilm-pulling sprocket and the film-delivery sprocket at a rate common tothat of the feed and take-up s rockets.'

8. In a motion picture machine `for operating upon a tape-like film, thecombination of a feed sprocket, a. take-up sprocket, means .foroperating said sprockets at a commonl rate of rotation, a casing, meansfor holding the casing in readily removable relation to a relativelyfixed part of the machine, said casing having an inlet and an forholdin;` in ring foim an endless-film wound upon itself in a pluralityof convoliitions with a loop, thereof extending flirough said inlet andsaid outlet and passing over each of said sprockets when the device isnormally in use, a rotary filmulling sprocket 'carried by the casing anpositioned substantially between planes defined bythe opposite edgeyrtions of the film ring, said iillingsproc et being adapted to draw filmrom one convolution of said ring, a film-delivery sprocket' also carriedby the casing and in spaced relation to said filmpiilling sprocket,means associated with -tlie pulling and delivery sprockets res ectivelyi'or maintaining thefilm operative y thereon, and means for rotating thefiliii-pulling sprocket and the film-delivery sprocket.

9. The combination of fa substantially closed casin liavin a door fortheinsertion and remove tlieret rougli of a ring of film, erating upon atape-like film, the combinasprocket on said shaft, and means forrotating both of said sprockets at a common rate.

10. A film` receiving and delivery device comprising a shaft having aair of filmengaging sprockets thereon, lm-holding means adapted to holda lurality of convoliitions of film in ring orm, said holdin meansencompassing said shaft, the sha t,

being substantially at right angles to the `planes defined by oppositeedge portions of the film, and means for rotating said sprockets.

11. A lni receiving and delivery device comprisinga` shaft having alpair of filmengaging sprockets thereon, means associated with eachsprocket for holding the film o eratively lthereon, film-holding' meansinc uding a plurality of rollers in rin form for holdin!!l a pluralityof convoliiti'ons of film in rinoform, the ring of rollers encom-.passing'said shaft, the shaft being substantially at right angles tothe planes defined by opposite edge portions of thefilm, and means forrotating said sprockets.

LOUIS B. LARSEN. OSCAR J. HOLMES.

